


Mabon

by Ivegotaheadlineforyou



Series: The Wheel of the Year [1]
Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Birthdays, Eurydice doesn't die because I don't like ~sadness~, F/M, Fluff, Not Canon Compliant, Soft babies are soft, Wheel of the Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 23:32:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18904897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivegotaheadlineforyou/pseuds/Ivegotaheadlineforyou
Summary: Eurydice hated her birthday.It wasn’t so much about the fact that she had made it another year — she was always thrilled about that. But it was where her birthday fell on the wheel of the year that always made her want to disregard the day in general.





	Mabon

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a new series that I'm doing, centering on the pagan wheel of the year, with a focus on the seasonal Equinoxes. 
> 
> Also please suspend your disbelief, I don't know how crops or science work.
> 
> Not betad, because I don't have the patience for it.
> 
> Hadestown belongs to Anaïs Mitchell, god bless her soul.

Eurydice hated her birthday.

It wasn’t so much about the fact that she had made it another year — she was always thrilled about that. But it was where her birthday fell on the wheel of the year that always made her want to disregard the day in general.

The seasons had been out of sorts since she was born — spring and autumn were merely stories that people told to each other. Her birthday fell during what used to be the autumnal equinox, Mabon. It was the day that signified the end of summer, and in a world long gone, it used to signify the start of fall. But as the seasons slowly spun out of control, for all of Eurydice’s life, it had meant that it was the first day that Hades could collect Persephone. It signified the end of the season of stability.

And now her birthday was just around the corner.

Yes, she had reason to believe that this year would be different. They were working things out again, the King and the Queen. They were trying to set the seasons right — after all, spring had arrived that year. Plus, Orpheus had worked by Eurydice’s side to save up money, to stockpile food and fire wood. They were in a better place than they were last winter. But she was constantly on her toes, afraid that at any moment they would be plunged into the winter that she so intensely feared. 

And to make matters worse, Persephone was being distant. 

There were days where Orpheus would come home from working the bar and have not seen her. There would be afternoons when they would try and find her, only to feel as though she had escaped their grasp. Eurydice swore she could feel the chill starting to set in, but Orpheus told her she was being paranoid. He kissed her fears away as best he could, encouraging her to relax, to take as much summer and warmth as she could. Always the optimist, that boy was. He drove her nuts, but also balanced her out.

On the eve of her birthday, Orpheus dragged her out to the bar despite her complaints. “I just want to be at home,” she whined to him. He was walking a few paces in front of her, their fingers intertwined as he all but dragged her along. “Orpheus, are you even listening to me?”

“Yes, and I’m opting to ignore you,” he said with a grin on his face. He squeezed her fingers and kept walking. She let her head hang back, letting out a dramatic groan that made him laugh. “Eurydice, come on. Persephone’s got someone else behind the bar, and so we’re going to sit down and drink and celebrate.”

“No, you’re going to celebrate, and I’ll sit and mope the entire time,” she stated, stopping in the middle of the road. He stopped as well and turned to look back at her. She had a pout on her face, and Orpheus thought it was the most adorable thing in the world. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she placed a hand on his chest.

“No, don’t do this,” she warned him. 

“Do what?” He responded, plastering an innocent look on his face that she saw right through. He leaned in further.

“Don’t try to kiss me when I’m mad at you!” She said, as he attempted to press little kisses all over her cheeks and forehead. She squirmed in his grasp, but he held her tight. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said between kisses, as his fingers tickled her waist.

“Orpheus!” She laughed, doing her best to push him away. God, he was such a little shit sometimes, but he did succeed in making her smile. He always did. She reached her hand up and covered his mouth, putting an end to his endless rain of kisses.

“If I come and have _one_ drink, then can we go home?” She wanted to compromise — He had been worried about the end of summer as well, but he hid his fear better than she did. He wanted to celebrate her, and in all honesty, who was she to deny him that?

He smiled and leaned forward, kissing her lips solidly before pulling away and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Lets go get that drink,” he said, as she wrapped her arm around his waist. 

***

She meant to only have one drink. She really did. And so did he. But their Lady of the Upside Down was on a roll, and one drink had led to two, which led to three, which led to Orpheus drunkenly pulling Eurydice close and dancing with her, as the rest of the patrons looked on. 

They danced, and they drank, and after being sent home at one point by Persephone, who found their mutual intoxication utterly hilarious, they walked home, taking twice as long as usual. 

***

As the sun rose, the lovers slept. Wrapped up in one another, clothes scattered around the floor, sleep was their only protection from the inevitable hangover that would greet them as soon as they awoke. They didn’t realise that sleep was also protecting them from a Goddess in green, banging on the door far too early in the morning.

“Eurydice! Orpheus!” Persephone shouted from the other side of the door, accompanied by her loud banging. “I’m coming in whether you’re decent or not.”

Eurydice groaned and burrowed into Orpheus’ chest, wrapping her arms around him. “Make her go away,” she mumbled, and Orpheus, still drowsy with sleep and a nasty headache, shushed her while squeezing her closer. “Not now, I’m sleeping.”

After only a few moments, Persephone pushed their door in with a little more drama than was entirely necessary. While the lovers were semi-decent, they were in no state to be entertaining the Goddess of Spring and the Queen of the Underworld. Eurydice grabbed the covers and pulled it over their heads. 

“Is that any way to greet your guest?” Persephone asked, wiping her feet at the door. She knew exactly how much she was annoying the two, and delighted in every moment of it.

“That would imply that you were invited,” Eurydice mumbled, her words muffled by the blanket and the fact that she was currently using Orpheus as a pillow.

“You wound, little songbird,” Persephone giggled. “Happy Birthday — but come on, I ain’t got much time today. Got a few things I gotta wrap up, and I wanted to show you your present. Your poet and I have been working on it for a while now.”

Eurydice lifted her head to glare at Orpheus, who should have known better. “What do you mean,” she said, looking at Orpheus but speaking to Persephone, “my poet?” Gone was his trademark resting-bliss-face, as he was attempting to feign innocence, which just wasn’t working. Persephone only laughed, while Eurydice rolled her eyes and dropped her forehead to his collarbone, and let out a loud, dramatic groan.

“What is with the two of you? You’re always waking me up and ignoring the very few requests I have. It’s a full time job just putting up with you.” Persephone giggled at that, and went over to pull the blankets away from Eurydice. She just held on tighter, the feral side of her shining through. 

“Oh come on, Songbird.”

“I don’t want to celebrate today, Persephone. I want to be left alone and forget that this day exists.”

Orpheus kissed her forehead and pulled the blankets away, despite the headache that was threatening to split his head open. He sat up a little and rubbed his hand up and down her back. Eurydice was like a house cat sometimes. All she wanted was a warm place to lay, a full stomach, and Orpheus’ soft touch, and she was content. What she didn’t need was a mischievous Goddess and her lover driving her up the fucking wall everyday. But here they were.

“‘Rydice,” he whispered to her, kissing just beside her ear. “Come on. You’ll like this I promise.”

She lifted her head and glared at him, her gaze implying anger, but it didn’t meet her eyes. “You have five minutes before I climb back into bed, with or without you.” Persephone smiled, and grabbed a dressing gown from the floor and threw it on the bed. 

It took her a few minutes to throw on the dressing gown, and find her footing. Orpheus was following right behind her. She was annoyed with the two of them, and just wanted to get back into bed, but Persephone had something about her not having a lot of time, and it lit a fire in her stomach. It was happening. 

Once she had a light dressing gown on, and Orpheus had slipped on a tattered t-shirt, Persephone had grabbed Eurydice’s hands and began leading her outside. Orpheus walked behind her, his hands covering her eyes. “Is this necessary?” she grumbled, and he kissed her hair. “Yes, now walk.”

There was a chill in the air, but the sun shining above sent warm rays down, and warmed the part of her face that wasn’t covered by Orpheus’ hands. She was tired, and her headache made her lose track of where they were leading her, but after only a minute or two, they stopped.

“You ready, girl?” Persephone said softly, squeezing her hands. Eurydice rolled her eyes and she could hear Orpheus giggle, probably having felt it. “Yes, Persephone, I’m ready.”

Orpheus removed his hands, and after Eurydice’s eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around in front of her and saw a garden, filled with strange plants.

“What is… I don’t understand…”

Persephone grinned and kicked off her shoes, walking through the rows of crops. “We’re workin on bringing the seasons back into swing again,” she said, her voice far away. “When my husband and I started fighting, we lost the spring and autumn harvest. But we’re bringin’ in back, come hell or high water.” 

Eurydice took a moment to grasp what she was saying, but the look of confusion on her face caused Orpheus to step in.

“These crops will grow in colder weather. They won’t be ready to harvest for a couple months,” he said, smiling at her, walking them towards the garden. 

She took a few steps forward, letting her bare feet touch the freshly turned soil. She walked through a row of vines, of stalks that she assumed would grow to be taller. Of plants that she had never seen or even heard about. “You…” she started, unaware of what to say. This was nothing at all like what she expected, and she was having trouble putting words to her feelings of gratitude. “You gave me…”

“More time,” Persephone said, her eyes soft. “Your poet asked me months ago for more time, and this was the best I could do. You’ve got until Samhain now, maybe later depending on circumstance. Happy birthday.”

Two months. Persephone gave them two more months of safety, of food, of comfort. Eurydice walked over to her and threw her arms around her neck and squeezed her close. She was at a loss for words, at an inability to truly tell her how much this meant. But it seemed liked Persephone understood. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her back before letting her go. She nodded at the young girl, who had tears in her eyes, but nodded back. 

She turned to Orpheus, who was watching with a soft smile, and eyes like stars. Eurydice walked over to him and cupped his cheeks. He leaned into her touch, and kissed the heel of her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For all of this.” He couldn’t take the distance any more, needing to hold her tight. “Happy birthday,” He whispered as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, and her hands moved from his cheeks to his shoulders, wrapping her arms around him. He smiled against her lips and deepened it.

Persephone watched the two of them embrace, knowing that it would soon be time to meet up with her husband. She wanted desperately to get to that place with him, and she knew that, while it would take time, they were too in love with one another to deny each other the kind of intimate softness that Orpheus and Eurydice seemed to have perfected.

***

Persephone left six days later, and with her went the inherent warmth of summertime. But the sun still shone, and the cold didn’t set in overnight. What Persephone had given Eurydice was time, but she had also given Orpheus peace of mind. He wouldn’t have to watch Eurydice in such a deep panic for six months of the year anymore. He wouldn’t have to be afraid of disappointing her, of letting her starve. Of watching her leave. It allowed them a comfort that they had never had before.

She also gave them their first autumn together.

They got to watch the leaves crisp up. Eurydice loved watching them change colours, watch them fall to the ground, creating soft places to land. There was more than one occasion where Eurydice, after clearing the leaves, would suddenly find herself being pushed into the piles she had created, only to be joined seconds later by a smiling Orpheus. 

Eurydice spent a lot of time in their garden, tending to the crops, learning what they liked and didn’t like. And as Samhain crept closer, the crops were ready to harvest. Before Persephone had left, she gave them all names, told them both what would grow. The weather got colder, and every morning Eurydice woke with a twinge of fear that the dew would frost and kill the plants, but it never did. Persephone gave them time, gave them comfort, and crops that would stay strong and keep throughout the winter.

On the day that they needed to harvest the final round of crops, they had had a slow morning. Eurydice woke up first, and woke up her Orpheus by climbing on top of him, straddling his waist and pressing light kisses all over his face, his neck, his collarbone. He smiled as he woke up, and ran his hands through her hair, pulling her in for a proper kiss. He was warm in their bed, but could feel the air outside of their small nest getting cold. The sun was shining, but the days were getting shorter. Every morning they woke to long stretches of fog across the hills, and frost on the grass. Winter was coming, they knew it. Could feel it in their bones. 

“G’morning,” Orpheus mumbled against her lips. They both had morning breath, his eyes were a little crusty, and her lips were a little chapped, but they happily made due.

“Morning, sweet poet,” she responded, laying herself flat on top of him. She propped her chin up on his chest. “You ready for the harvest today?” 

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He thought back to their first winter together. How only a short time ago, Eurydice would awake feral and hungry, scared out of her mind, and only able to cope with it by increasing her level of ferocity. He thought back to mornings when he would pull her against him, and spend long moments, comforting her, telling her that they would make it. And then he looked at the woman laying on top of him — her hair was longer, her face fuller than before. And the light in her eyes was raging on. She wasn’t scared anymore. Perhaps she would delve into moment of worry the closer they got to the winter equinox, but she no longer held fear as a base emotion. 

He had learned some of her skepticism, and she had learned some of his optimism. They were no longer opposites — their attraction was no longer volatile and intense. They were balanced now, sustainable. They were going to make it.

He came back to the present moment when Eurydice tapped her finger lightly between his eyes. “Are you ready for today?” She asked again. And with a kiss to her hand, and then another one to her lips, he nodded.

He was ready for today, and tomorrow, and every day that came afterwards.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I know that it's super messy, and maybe a bit ooc, but honestly? The idea of Orpheus giving Eurydice a garden, giving her more time, has infiltrated my mind.  
> Also this is partially inspired by an anon on tumblr who suggested a birthday fic! (Don't worry -- Orpheus' birthday is coming soon!)
> 
> I'm on tumblr: IveGotAHeadlineForYou <3
> 
> Come scream about Hadestown with me on tumblr <3  
> I'm also going to NYC in a few days (And seeing this show on Thursday!!! I cannot wait!!!!), and you can follow my trip on insta (@indigowayworth)


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